Corporate Training Reality Check: What 20+ Years in the Industry Has Taught Me
The fella sitting next to me at the monthly training session was scrolling through his phone, barely hiding it behind his notebook . Honestly, I was tempted to do the same thing. Another PowerPoint marathon about “combining our core competencies” or some such rubbish. I’ve spent over two decades in the professional development game, and I reckon about most of what passes for professional development these days is just expensive box ticking.
Here’s what gets me fired up though. Companies are spending serious money on training programs that nobody remembers three weeks later. Sydney companies are throwing away serious dollars on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most mind numbing, one size fits all approaches you’ve ever seen.
Here’s what gets me wound up though. Companies are spending serious money on training programs that nobody remembers a month down the track. Brisbane organisations are wasting enormous budgets on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most mind-numbing, one-size-fits-all approaches you’ve ever seen.
The thing that drives me absolutely mental. Companies are spending serious money on training programs that nobody remembers a month down the track. Sydney companies are throwing away serious dollars on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most boring, predictable session structures you’ve ever seen.
My contact at a major corporate shared this story with me. The company had dropped serious cash on a management course that cost more than a expensive car. Ask them now what they got from it and you’ll hear crickets. At least everyone got nice certificates for their office walls.
The problem isn’t that people dont want to grow professionally. You can see the engagement spike when sessions address actual workplace issues. It’s like trying to fix a Ferrari with a hammer when you need precision tools.
The problem isn’t that people don’t want to grow professionally. Trust me, I’ve seen the hunger in people’s eyes when they finally get training that actually connects with their real work challenges. The issue is we’re treating professional development like a one-size-fits-all tracksuit from Big W when it should be more like a bespoke suit from Collins Street.
The standard corporate learning session goes like this . First session : uncomfortable team building exercises that nobody enjoys. Second session : academic concepts that look good in presentations but mean nothing in practice. Final session : goal setting workshops that produce plans destined for desk drawers. Imagine paying Netflix prices for free to air quality content.
But here’s what actually delivers results
Hands on, real challenge tackling. Hand them the problems keeping them awake at night. Not hypothetical case studies about companies that went bust in 1987, but the stuff causing actual stress about genuine workplace situations.
But here’s what actually delivers results
Messy, imperfect, real-world problem solving. Hand them the problems keeping them awake at night. Not hypothetical case studies about companies that went bust in 1987, but the stuff creating genuine anxiety about tomorrow’s challenges.
I remember working with a development company in Brisbane where the site managers were struggling with communication breakdowns. Instead of putting them through a typical communication skills workshop, we had them tackle genuine issues from their current projects . They traced their messaging systems, found the weak points, and built better processes. Six months later, their project completion rates had improved by 30%. Not because they learned some complex theory, but because they figured out workable fixes to actual problems.
Now I’m going to upset a few readers. I reckon most professional development should happen within business hours, not piled onto people’s personal time. Organisations demanding after hours learning are dreaming if they think people will be engaged.
Now I’m going to upset a few readers. I reckon most professional development should happen in paid hours, not squeezed into evenings and weekends. Businesses pushing weekend workshops shouldn’t be surprised when attendance drops off.
Here’s where I might lose some people though. I reckon most professional development should happen in paid hours, not squeezed into evenings and weekends. Organisations demanding after-hours learning are dreaming if they think people will be engaged.
This might ruffle some feathers : we dont all need to manage people. There’s this obsession with leadership development programs, as if the only way to grow professionally is to manage other people. The star players often want to master their craft, not supervise others. Finding expert level skills training without leadership components is nearly impossible these days.
What really gets my goat is the non existent follow through .
Employees return from training buzzing with possibilities, then get zero support to put anything into action. No guidance, no resources, no chance to actually use their new skills. Think of it as purchasing exercise equipment and hiding it in the garage.
What really gets my goat is the non-existent follow-through.
People attend sessions, get inspired, then face radio silence from management. No support, no check-ins, no way to implement what they’ve learned. Think of it as purchasing exercise equipment and hiding it in the garage. Data indicates that without reinforcement, most learning evaporates within 30 days. But organisations seem shocked when their education spending produces no lasting results.
My advice now is to spend equal amounts on training delivery and ongoing support. Budget dollar for dollar matching between initial sessions and sustained development activities. Otherwise you’re just throwing money into a very expensive bin.
Now I’ll completely flip my position for a moment. Sometimes the best professional development happens completely by accident. I’ve seen people learn more from a tough project that went sideways than from any formal training program. Perhaps we should focus on harnessing organic development opportunities rather than manufacturing artificial learning experiences.
The tech companies seem to have figured this out better than most old school industries. Google’s famous 20% time, where employees can spend one day a week on passion projects, has produced some of their most innovative products. Think of it as learning opportunities wrapped in exploration time.
What truly drives me up the wall though. Training programs that ignore the reality of workplace culture. You can teach people all the collaborative leadership techniques in the world, but if they face supervisors stuck in command and control mentality, why bother? Think of it as training pilots and then giving them bicycles.
Smart companies work on culture and training simultaneously. They avoid the magical thinking of education without environmental support. They establish cultures that encourage and appreciate newly developed abilities.
Financial justification requests never stop coming. CEOs want to know exactly how much revenue each training dollar generates. Understandable expectation, though measuring impact isnt always simple. How do you measure the value of preventing a key employee from quitting because they finally felt supported in their development? What value do you place on mishaps that never happen due to better preparation?
One industrial client tracked $3.1 million in prevented workplace incidents following their safety development program. See how far that gets you with CFOs obsessed with short term performance metrics.
Perhaps the problem starts with our terminology. “Professional development” sounds like something that happens to you, rather than something you actively pursue. What if we called it “work improvement” or “getting better at stuff”? Simpler language, real focus, definitely more transparent about intended outcomes.
My forecast for the coming decade. Companies that figure out how to blend learning with actual work tasks will absolutely destroy their competition. Not because their people will be more qualified on paper, but because they’ll be flexible, assured, and committed to addressing real challenges.
The future belongs to organisations that stop treating professional development like a separate activity and start treating it like breathing. Vital, ongoing, and woven into all business activities.
That’s probably enough ranting for one article. Back to creating development programs that stick beyond the first week.
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